Forever dark, Forever mournful
by TheBlackFox666
Summary: Artyom watches as the Dark Ones burn from the face of the planet, but this is not the end of the struggle, for the human race must remain underground in the metros, and he realizes he must live with that fact until he too falls, like so many others.
1. Chapter 1

_**PEOPLE! MY FIRST ONE SHOT! OF! THE! BEST! GAME! I HAVE PLAYED FOR THE XBOX 360 SINCE HALO 3 (Mw 2 does not count cause it was a waste of time, space, and every bit of effort if any that went into it, in my opinion.)**_

_**A Metro one shot that might be extended into an actual story, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IF I CAN MAKE IT A STORY! Most likely, but enough talk.**_

_**ONWARD!**_

_**Also this is my first "non Star Fox story" XD it's quite amazing.**_

_**Remember, also, this takes place a bit during and after the ending cutscene of the ending of the game, I hope you guys enjoy, and please tell me if you want to have this made into an actual story, I already have an idea or two thought out for it!**_

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"_The missiles have launched!_" Ulman said as I continued to stare at the large, volcano like spout in front of me. I turned to look behind me, seeing the flame of the missiles as they rose from the horizon. The three made long arches of smoke all the way to its target. The flaming mushroom clouds extended into the sky, reaching almost the height I was standing at. It was a beautiful sight, and I sat down next to the guidance system, watching the fire burn the beings known as the Dark Ones from the surface of the planet forever. The air within my mask quickly became stale and I quickly replaced the filter. I smelled the foul air of the irradiated world around me, and it was replaced by sweet smells once the filter was back on. "_Ahh… Our work… what we have strived for, for so many years… finally complete._" Ulman continued. "_Artyom, find a way back down, I'll meet you at the entrance of the tower… JESUS CHRIST! Hurry up with that Artyom, the Demons are doing a full blown assault on my position!_"

I stood up and looked at the large hole that took up half of the roof behind me, then I turned and looked off my perch to the city of Moscow hundreds of feet below. Directly below me, about five floors down, was a wrap about catwalk along the side of the tower.

_Glad I have that rope with me. _I thought, removing my bag and grabbing the hundred foot rope. I quickly crouched down by the flag pole on the perch and wrapped the rope around the pole. Tying a quick a tight knot, I pulled as hard as I could on the rope, and then slowly lowered myself off the perch, satisfied.

I slipped a bit down the rope, but quickly regained my grip. The wind picked up and I started to swing. "Fuck fuck fuck!" I yelled as I started to lose my grip again. I swung around the building, smacking against a jagged piece of metal, tearing my jacket open and shedding blood. My grip released and I was thrown across a room of computer server towers and the computers monitoring them. All I could remember was a short fall after that, then an immense pain in my back. When I awoke, I found Ulman over me, the long stretches of the elevator shaft reaching above him.

"Artyom!" He yelled, the gas mask he wore muffling his voice a bit. I looked around, noticing the small crack in the gas mask of my own. "You're awake? I just got here, but I didn't expect to find the dent in the top of the elevator. You must have taken quite a fall." He held out his hand, and I gladly took it and I was pulled to my feet. Ulman jumped down into the elevator, and I followed. "I got the elevator working and lowered it down to go up and find you, but instead you were already on it. Now, we must hurry before the Howlers catch our scent." He said as we walked past the ruble of the base of the tower. We finally emerged into the white abyss that was in place of Moscow, my home.

The streets and buildings were destroyed, and the land was plagued by an endless nuclear winter. The crunch of the ash snow under our feet, a familiar sound, but a heart breaking one.

This is what our world was reduced to. We were to forever dwell within the metros of our city, living off of what we can scavenge from above and taking them into the depths of darkness.

This was life now… Forever dark, forever mournful.

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_**HEY GUYS!**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this oneshot/ possible full story of Metro 2033, the best game for Xbox 360 EVA! That I have played that is…**_

_**Anyway, like I said in the beginning, please tell me if you guys would like to have this made into a full story or not, and I will do so!**_

_**UNTIL NEXT TIME!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two of my Metro 2033 fic, woop woop! Working on "Star Fox: Back in Time" next if anyone's wondering. Hope you enjoy it! **_

_**Also this chapter contains Character death… not of Artyom, believe me.**_

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Ulman removed his Kalash 2012 from his back, readying it and pushing me to the side as I put a hand on my revolver. "It's a Demon. Stay quiet." He whispered. I removed my revolver from its leather holster and held it tight. The last thing I wanted was to fight one of these monsters, it was bad enough I was already wounded. The bus we hid behind shook and Ulman pulled me down onto the ground. "Do not make any moves." He whispered once more.

I heard a sniffing above me, and then I felt something press against my back, pushing me into the ground. I resisted the urge to groan my displeasure, holding my breath. The Demon atop me sniffed my back then snarled. The great weight disappeared, and the flapping of their large wings was heard.

"That was a bit close." Ulman said, helping me up as I rubbed the spot where the Demon had placed its paw.

"You are telling me, one of them stood on me." I retorted as I placed my revolver back into the dark brown leather holster where it once was. Ulman simply continued walking, stepping onto a destroyed car and looking around. The irradiated world around us howled an almost sinister song as the wind picked up. The nuclear snow covered street crumbled into a pit on the other side of the bus, along with obvious signs of a recent fight within.

"Oh shit, Dmitri!" Ulman yelled as he ran around the bus and slid down into the pit, stopping next to the body of a man, I vaguely remembered the knife strapped to his forearm.

"Is that…?"

"Yes… that last of our squad… Dammit Miller! Why did you have to die like that!" Ulman yelled, pounding his hands into his down comrade, then falling back onto the hard concrete ruble. "We have nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, everyone will be going after us!" He continued.

"What do you mean? There is always the Mar…" I tried to retort, but he cut me off, standing and throwing his helmet to the ground.

"We can't go there, they'll find me!"

"Who, who will find you?"

"The Nazi's, I used to be one. I ran, and Miller had saved me, paying the head man off every time he tried to send people after me." Ulman said, walking back and forth in a hurried panic. "I shouldn't even be telling you… We have to go, now!" He said grabbing his helmet and running back up the steep wall of the crater.

"Ulman wait!" I called after him, running to catch up. "Ulman!" I called again. Off in the distance, there was a low howl. "Ulman, Ulman there are Howlers! Stop!" I cried, grabbing the front wooden handle of my AK, pulling it forwards and pressing the stock against my shoulder as I prepared for the worst. "ULMAN!" I cried out once more in a feeble attempt to get his attention, even for a second.

Ulman fell, tackled by one of the large rat resembling beasts. He screamed as the Howler tore into his suit. I raised my rifle, pulling the trigger three times, hitting each into the side of the Howler. The beast roared, slashed at Ulman one more time and then ran off. When I finally reached Ulman, who was still laying on the ground, his eyes were closed, his breathe heavy and ragged, his stomach and chest torn open and bleeding profusely… A wound I could not stop.

"Artyom…" He painfully said, his tone making my heart sink. "Get out of here… I'm… I'm obviously… Not… Not… N… Gah." He coughed, spraying blood into his gasmask, making it impossible to see his face. His breathing stopped, the grip on his weapon released… he was gone.

"Ulman…" I sadly stated, all I could do now… Was move on. I grabbed his Kalash 2012, removing the top loading P90 styled clip from the weapon and grabbing a 'fresh' clip from one of Ulman's pouches. I continued to search his body for any type of ammo and mask filters. "The least you could have done was leave a note to your son…" I muttered, grabbing the last clip he had for the K-2012 and taking his Military grade ammunition. It broke my heart doing this to my friend, using what he had for myself, but I would gladly take what I needed to survive.

Up until now, I never realized how dark surviving could be. I had watched rather old horror movies where there would be people lost in the wilderness and had to try and survive knowing that there were things coming to kill them. This was rather same, but… Real.

I started my walk down the street, the howl of the beasts following me. Keeping my composure, keeping my finger on the trigger of my weapon, and keeping a sharp eye out for anything that moves, I slowly made my way towards a collapsed wall, lingering within I saw the infinite darkness of the metros. The loud heavy set steps of a stalking howler grew closer and closer. I readied myself, pushing my Kalash 2010's M4 styled fire selector to full auto.

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**_Well, short chapter, but I'm having very bad writers block and I can barely think at all, I have really bad migraines in school it's so bad._**

**_Hope you like the really bad cliffhanger, now ONTO PURE DESPERATION!_**

**_'Bout time I started typing that fic…_**

**_Until next time!_**


	3. Chapter 3

I slowly pulled my knife from my waist, tightening the grip of my Kalash 2012 in my right hand. Finally I heard the beast attack. I turned, raising my knife to combat the monsters arm as I pumped round after full auto round into the beats bare chest. It fell without further resistance. I bolted, seeing that it had friends… A few thousand friends, all making a mad dash in my direction. I descend as fast as I could into the tunnel below, changing the P90 styled magazine of my Kalash as I did. The honk of a rail car came from the Tunnel, and from the left a bright light shined into my eyes as a rail car followed by a heavy transport, came around. The large bed holding two large 50. Caliber machine guns, which opened up immediately at the sight of the large group of Howlers following me. I made a mad dash for the small Rail car when it stopped.

Jumping onto the back, I screamed. "What are you waiting for?" The small car built up speed, but not enough to stay out of reach of the larger transport behind us, which almost crushed me. I jumped onto the front of the large cart before impact, pulling myself up and over the front canopy and into the back bed where fellow rangers greeted me.

"Artyom, our hero!" One of them yelled.

"Is it true, are those hideous Dark Ones gone forever?" Another asked.

I was approached by one of the larger men, bulky armed and looked ready to fight by the way he walked towards me. I shouldered my weapon as he stopped and stuck his hand out to me.

"It's a pleasure to meet the famous Artyom that I have heard so much about… It's a shame, I expected you to be… bigger." The man laughed. I joined in obliging the man's happy attitude and generous hand gesture. "So, it is true, correct? They are gone?"

I nodded in response. "I don't see a way they could have survived. All the burrowed tunnels from the main nest exploded with it."

"Good to hear!" The man shouted, looking around and raising his arms in excitement. "They are dead! Our people shall never suffer from their likes again!" He turned towards me, starring me down. "Though I must ask… What happened of your squad? Ulman said he and you would be arriving here together."

"The squad? They did not make it… Most died before we got to the tower. Ulman was taken by one of the howlers as we approached the tunnel."

"That is sad to hear… But at least a friend from the small station of Exhibition is ok!" The man stated happily. "You know, I'm from Exhibition also. I recently left for Polis, and I was almost immediately set onto this expedition to help you."

"What was the stations shape before you left? Are they holding up? Do you know Elizabeth? Is she alright?" I'm bombarded him, wrapping the sling of my gun around me and settling my Kalash onto my back.

"The station will most likely hold for a good couple weeks, though I do not know a Elizabeth... But I do have good news, which I was asked to deliver. It is from the council in Polis." The man pulled a note from his pouch and forced it into a half stretched hand. As I opened it, a look of glee spread across my features.

My previously denied request has been taken back into consideration. They are sending the aid I wanted.

"When did this happen?" I asked, giving him the note back.

"They told me that after seeing your valor in battle, and your determination to save your station they reconsidered to repay for what you were doing here today." The man said loudly and proudly. "Congratulations, my comrade. You are the most famous man in the metros!" The surrounding men cheered my name, and my face became flush.

"Please, I do not wish to be praised. Instead praise the ones that have sacrificed themselves to make this happen… I wouldn't be here if they hadn't."

"An honorable thing to say, and you are right. I do not wish to doubt they had sacrificed themselves in vain to keep you alive. Please, my friend, do not let them down."

"I promise you they have not. Now, please tell me where we are heading?"

"To Exhibition of course! We are but part of the force sent to bolster their defenses there!" The man turned flexing a buff arm towards me. "Since we are the most veteran of the groups sent we were also sent to extract you from that hell you created."

"Well I am glad. I thought I was a goner there." I stated. "Now… It's been a long day. Do you have a place where I can rest?" I asked. The bulky man pointed towards a medium built man, who slowly walked up to me.

"This way, friend." The man said. He sounded different, and I knew the accent. I always heard my little nephew talk with it every time I called them before the nuclear holocaust.

"You don't sound like us, are you an American?" I curiously asked.

"Why, yes I am." He responded leading me into the driver compartment where the gauges and lights moved and flickered in what seemed to be a sequence order. "I was here to visit family. I learned Russian from a friend I had and flew here almost as soon as the missiles went up."

"That is sad to hear."

"Do not worry, it seems like a good thing to me. I've heard horrible stories from across the ocean." The man said. "By the way, names James." He held out a hand and I shook.

"I can only assume you know mine." I joked, and he nodded laughing and turning. As soon as he did the carts came to an abrupt stop in front of maintenance halls towards the halls. The pitch black tunnels were almost immediately filled with the lights of flashlights.

"Why have we stopped?" The driver of our large cart yelled.

"The rails! They are cut!" Called a man from the front. "I can move the rails back into place, give me time!"

"Keep your aim on those corridors!" The bulky man from before yelled out as he ran past me and grabbed a large gun, a bag of belt fed 7.62 ammunition hanging from the side. I followed with my pistol drawn, not wanting to waste what little dirty ammo I had left for my rifle.

Flames lit the tunnel ceiling above us, and spiked pipe bombs dropped from it, a dozen or so.

"GET OFF THE CAR-" Someone yelled as many dived from the carts sides. I could not react fast enough, and was pushed back from the blast. My vision was dark for what seemed like ages, and when I could finally open my eyes, I saw my suit was completely ripped open, and blood oozed from my wounds. I lay next to the driver, who had a bullet through his head, and a clear entrance hole was seen on the side window.

The bulky man seemed to have no injuries at all, as he slowly scooted his way towards me, keeping aim at what may be coming.

"Artyom, don't worry, I'm going to get you out of he-" A bullet quickly ripped through his temple. I closed my eyes as I was sprayed with blood. Footsteps came along, and a voice echoed through the now empty tunnel.

"This one's alive, but he will not live long."

"Leave him." Another said. "Let him suffer, it'll teach him for joined those red bastards. Take what loot they have! Hurry, we must go!" A hand felt around me, taking everything that I had. Banging and throwing of metal objects also echoed, after a few minutes they bounded off down a direction I did not see. I opened my eyes once more to see the chaos in which I would die. The sight outside was bloody, and filled with an amount of gore I could not describe with any type of vocabulary. A hand crept up the side of the cart, and up came James, the American from before. He looked around at the carnage and crawled towards me grabbing my arm and pulling me slowly back the way he came.

"Do not worry, Artyom, you'll make it." He whispered, pulling a sidearm from under his uniform. The full silver weapon gleamed before sinking into the darkness of the shadows. "I'm getting you out of here."

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_**MLP: FiM story time...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm back, it's back, you ready? You better!**_

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My body ached and bled, and I felt myself being propped against something. I opened my eyes for a split second. All I saw was a dark silhouette of a pistol with a small bit of light reflecting off of it, the unmistakable shape of an American M1911. The silver frame and slide gleamed with what little light was reaching it. The man who held it, James, exhaled deeply as he felt around me.

"You're pretty torn up, buddy." He stated, the American accent even more prevalent than before. "You'll live. None of the wounds are too deep, but they sure are bleedin'. I only got enough wrap for the majors, so you're just going to have to stay with me." Once again his hand grabbed me, lifting my arm and his other went behind my back. I opened once more, groaning loudly. "Easy there buddy, I ain't letting you die on me. Relax and stay with me." He said trying to calm me. A figure moved behind him, and I did what I could think of initially, grab my revolver. James apparently took this as on obvious sign, for he stood and pointed his pistol towards where I had seen the figure, quickly flicking on a light.

"Freeze!" He yelled, seeing the sneaking man. The person raised a rifle, the AK-74 that seemed to flood our world, but was quickly put down by four randomly placed bullets. He quickly slipped the pistol into his inner-jacket holster and turning to me, lifting me to my feet and finishing the half asked wrap around my chest. "It's a bit early to leave, but everyone within a few hundred yards is going to hear those shots and we need to get moving. Can you walk?"

"I…" I stuttered weakly, my head still pounding from the blast. My vision blurred as I stepped forwards, but it quickly cleared. Pain filled my body with every step none-the-less.

"Quickly, come on." He lifted my arm and placed it around his neck, lifting me up a bit and moving me along. My steps were light and quick as we moved as, through the dark maintenance-ways, we went, James with a gun pointed ahead and a flashlight mounted to the pistols under rail turned on. A rat ran by, and in a far corner of the room lay a single green glowing mushroom. Other then this the gray concrete of the tunnel was the only thing that existed within the room.

"Quiet, I believe they already are moving towards us."

The clang of metal hitting metal came from the far off behind us, but it gave me a bit of a push as I started to rush myself. I quickly became woozy, my blood becoming visible on the half wrapped bandage when I looked down, and I stumbled. Immediately James caught me and stated "You're not going anywhere like this..." He shined his light along the wall, but as to why I did not know. He stopped on a door, looking down at me. "It's our only chance other then holding them off..." He dragged me towards the door as I hobbled along slowly on his shoulder. He pulled at the door but to no avail, same with pushing. He gave it a solid and hard kick, and the rusted metal almost shattered on impact. The rusted doors lock mechanism basically destroyed at this point, it swung open.

James did not hesitate on pushing me into the pitch black room, lighting up the room as well he could with the light attached to his pistol. He noted the heavy metal boxes off to the side of the doorway, and a small man hole in a corner. Immediately reacting to a human scream behind him, James took the heavy box and pushed it as hard as he could in front of the door, blocking it off. He then ran over and opened the man hole, looking down at the green lit tunnel below. "It's our only option, and we're going to have to take it." He helped me over, making sure I had enough light to see what I was doing as I used the last of my strength both physically and mentally to climb my painful way down. I finally made it to the bottom, leaning myself against a nearby wall, gasping for air as I removed my gas mask, placing it upon my head and tightening it down. The thick air still made it through my mask, but it lost most of its smell and heaviness, allowing me to breath more easily and without risk. As James made his way down the ladder, keeping his pistol trained on the manhole above, he looked up and down the barely lit tunnel. He touched a foot to the ground and immediately gasped, reaching over to his mask and slipping it on. The masks glass screen had a large crack in it, but it did not seem large enough to let air through as he breathed as easily as I did. He moved his way over to me, not caring whether I was in pain or not as he lifted me up.

"Bare with it, my friend. We're close to a safe zone known to the rest of the rangers." He stated as he forced my stumbling along, I still clutched my right side tightly trying to grit my way through the pain. My feet continued to stumble, only slowing us down. A large thud came from behind, along with a loud echoing snap. James turned, then roughly pushing my ahead. "Keep going!" He yelled as he turned. Much of my blood has rushed from my body as I stumbled forwards alone. My vision grew blurrier with every step I took, energy seeped from my muscles as each individual movement became increasingly harder to perform.

Each step I stumbled, but each step I pushed myself faster. My body was trying to stop itself, but I continued to push myself harder. My vision slowly started to blacken as I made one last push towards a glowing green path ahead off to the left.

Slowly but surely I felt what I have experienced as death creep up once more to me, touching my spine with its cold and icy hand. I stumbled once more, only a few inches from a safe position to hide and wait, but I could not move any more. I laid my head down, waiting for the blackness to engulf what was left of me. A stray bullet impacted the ground in front of my mask, and at that moment I knew that I was most likely going to die.

I was wrong however, for before my vision gave way I felt myself being dragged, and from what I saw I was dragged down the path of my original intention, green glowing mushrooms evidently releasing enough radiation to only kill me faster in my condition, but they did give off enough light to see what was happening. Though none of this helped the blood still pouring from my body, and I soon felt myself drift into what can only be described as... Well, death.

-0-

_**This one is very late... And short... And not all that good!**_

_**But, it follows the story arch I wanted, and it keeps stuff nice and simple for me.**_

_**Hope you all enjoyed.**_

_**MLP:FiM Fic getting an update next, then I'll be retyping my absolutely horrible latest chapter of Pure Desperation.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Yay! Finally back to one of my favorite fics, and one of my most popular :P it's 3rd most popular with you guys. Wanna make it first?**_

-0-

The pain slowly seeped away, consciousness giving away to... Sleep...

Peaceful sleep...

At this point I could not feel or hear, but I could not help but feel safe... Secure... As if having locked myself into a steel room, a kind hearted guardian ever watchful of me.

I could not think anything but security... The many thoughts of plans, tactics and survival nonsense that normally ran through my head in such situations were not there...

Moments passed... At least I thought they were moments... The barren nothingness I felt ever increasingly feeling colder... More and more it felt like what one would call death... I could be starring it right in the face and not even know it...

The edges of the darkness around me started to glow... As if a bright light were behind me, pushing the everlasting darkness away.

An echo... There was an echo from deep within my surroundings...

"UP!"

"Hunter!" I yelled as I shot up. A small blanket covered me, torn and horribly patched. I shivered harshly pulling the cover up over my shoulders, revealing my battle-worn dark brown boots. Looking about, I felt like how I was when I was unconscious. Nothing but darkness except my general area do to a small candle sitting next to me. From what I could make from what the candle lit up, I was on a supply box stuffed into the corner of a room. Other then this and that the air was safe to breath I could not tell anything at all. In fact the air smelled 'fresh'.

Wooziness took effect as I slumped back into my makeshift bed, complete with pillow... If you counted a rifle as a pillow. My vision went dark for what felt like minutes, but nothing really happened... Just... Sounds.

Unpleasant, unsettling sounds. Sounds of distant screams, of the many monsters that filled this world...

I managed a thought... Where was my savior?

More started to surface, none with an answer.

Who was it who had saved me? Was it James? Was he still alive? Or was he gunned down trying to, and I left there next to him assumed to be already dead, later to be found by someone else?

My chest ached, blood still oozing from it. I felt each pump of my heart spill some more, only making me weaker and weaker by the second.

_Sleep would do me good... _I thought to myself knowing I most likely was not going anywhere...

Fear crept through me...

Would I _make _it anywhere...?

I once again winced my way off to sleep between gasps and spasms of pain.

The creek of a door sounded, the screech bolting me painfully up. I felt warmer then before. There was also more light then before...

A small gleam of bright white light came in from a half circle in the ceiling pressed against the far wall. Sun light made its way down illuminating the bleak gray concrete floor. This half circle seemed to be a service hatch of some sort, a rusted latter being obvious in the light.

A foot appeared within the light, and the person hissed, lifting his foot up and away from the light with a cloud of black smoke following. My mind slowly started to click as the man approached. The ersatz of James stopped just within the light of the oil lamp next to my makeshift bed, the body of the man smoking profusely as if burning in said light. He reached behind me, grabbing the rifle and pointing it towards my head.

"_Suffer..._" The ever increasingly obvious ersatz stated. Fear crawled through me. The voice echoed, high in pitch but low in volume echoing infinitely as if actually in my mind. I had heard the voice before...

My mind clicked once more as memories of the events before came to me.

They weren't dead.

"NO!" A man screamed, the light from the surface increasing in intensity tenfold nearly blinding me. The shadow of a Ranger jumped towards the ersatz of James, ramming a silhouette of a large trench knife deep within the creatures neck. This voice I also remembered. The memories of home...

I shook myself from my dream, my body having spasms with no control being rendered to me. After a moment, it stopped and I was able to look around, my surroundings unchanged. My stomach churned as a feeling of unending queasiness came over me. I looked around the small lit area next to me for a bucket. Failing to do so, I lifted myself past where my head once lay, emptying my already famished stomach of what little was left in it.

This sudden sickness was strange. I had been in this kind of condition twice before, but never had I felt ill while recovering.

Maybe I had become like one of the many people to have encountered the Dark Ones. Maybe I hadn't killed them and they had come back to take revenge on me, making me just like the rest of their victims.

If so, I truly was not going to make it out of this...

Soon I would go insane, tearing myself apart from the inside out. Just like all the rest.

I already felt myself slipping into delusion. Thoughts of suicide slipped into my mind, after a few minutes I heard noises over the ones that were already there, none of which I have ever heard before. They were even scarier then the Howlers roar, and only because I knew what it meant.

Constantly I rolled in my 'bed', becoming ever more irritated by the constant sounds that seemed to come from nowhere. No, I knew they came from no where.

It amazed me, honestly. After all the encounters I had with the Dark Ones it was now that I took ill from them, after I had completely eradicated them. At least I die knowing I brought them down also.

However I can not help but feel that my thoughts are wrong. They may still walk this earth...

The creak of a rusted metal door reached its way to me through he thunder of other sounds. I knew many of these were not real, and I tried my hardest to push the sounds away, remove them from my thoughts. While the noise dampened slightly, none of them left. It constantly haunted me, tearing away at my sanity.

Something grabbed my shoulder, pushing me onto my back gently. My eyes closed themselves from a bright light, obviously from what had opened the door.

"You look sick, Artyom. You're getting worse, obviously." The thing... The man stated. There were too many noises to truly recognize the voice, but he had said my name. I could only assume it was James.

My numbing body moved and I was lifted into the air, not by one, but by two people.

One of them knew my name. So many things could have happened to have this occur, one of the more extreme ones I immediately buried without a second thought. James, right now, was my only hope. I didn't want to think it was anyone but him, to be blunt. If it were anyone else I probably would not live longer then a day, either by bleeding out or by these men.

Seconds passed, the only feeling I had was that of the movement of my stomach. Every now and then I would hear the grunt and groans of something. It seemed so familiar.

My head pounded unendingly. The constant throbs increased with each pump of what little blood I had.

A small ringing started to start in my ear. It increased in volume after a few seconds until I could not hear anything else. The sharp, high pitched screech only added to my discomfort.

The voices...

They had come again. Each voice was similar but the same, each one saying such unsettling things, but I could not understand them.

I was going mad... I could understand them, yet I could not distinguish what each said. Each voice, each word had an evil meaning, but none of it...

I was placed on the ground. Some type of wood being my current bed, pressure being applied to one of my many wounds. Pain flew through me.

Constant, unending pain. How have I lived through something like this twice already? I'm only 21...

This would be impossible... But... I've seen the impossible, and to most I have accomplished the impossible. All I could do now is...

**-0-**

**_So... short... T.T_  
**


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